Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.18-20
स वै मन: कृष्णपदारविन्दयो-
र्वचांसि वैकुण्ठगुणानुवर्णने ।
करौ हरेर्मन्दिरमार्जनादिषु
श्रुतिं चकाराच्युतसत्कथोदये ॥ १८ ॥
मुकुन्दलिङ्गालयदर्शने दृशौ
तद्भृत्यगात्रस्पर्शेऽङ्गसङ्गमम् ।
घ्राणं च तत्पादसरोजसौरभे
श्रीमत्तुलस्या रसनां तदर्पिते ॥ १९ ॥
पादौ हरे: क्षेत्रपदानुसर्पणे
शिरो हृषीकेशपदाभिवन्दने ।
कामं च दास्ये न तु कामकाम्यया
यथोत्तमश्लोकजनाश्रया रति: ॥ २० ॥
sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
[sa vai manah krishna-padaaravindayor]
vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane
[vachaamsi vaikuntha-gunaanuvarnane]
karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu
[karau harer mandira-maarjanaadishu]
śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye
[shrutim chakaaraachyuta-sat-kathodaye]
mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau
[mukunda-lingaalaya-darshane drishau]
tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam
[tad-bhritya-gaatra-sparshe ’nga-sangamam]
ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe
[ghraanam cha tat-paada-saroja-saurabhe]
śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite
[shreemat-tulasyaa rasanaam tad-arpite]
pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe
[paadau hareh kshetra-padaanusarpane]
śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane
[shiro hrisheekesha-padaabhivandane]
kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā
[kaamam cha daasye na tu kaama-kaamyayaa]
yathottamaśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ
[yathottamashloka-janaashrayaa ratih]
Word-for-word
saḥ
—
he (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa)
vai
—
indeed
manaḥ
—
his mind
kṛṣṇa-pada-aravindayoḥ
—
(fixed) upon the two lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa
vacāṁsi
—
his words
vaikuṇṭha-guṇa-anuvarṇane
—
describing the glories of Kṛṣṇa
karau
—
his two hands
hareḥ mandira-mārjana-ādiṣu
—
in activities like cleansing the temple of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
śrutim
—
his ear
cakāra
—
engaged
acyuta
—
of or about Kṛṣṇa, who never falls down
sat-kathā-udaye
—
in hearing the transcendental narrations
mukunda-liṅga-ālaya-darśane
—
in seeing the Deity and temples and holy dhāmas of Mukunda
dṛśau
—
his two eyes
tat-bhṛtya
—
of the servants of Kṛṣṇa
gātra-sparśe
—
in touching the bodies
aṅga-saṅgamam
—
contact of his body
ghrāṇam ca
—
and his sense of smell
tat-pāda
—
of His lotus feet
saroja
—
of the lotus flower
saurabhe
—
in (smelling) the fragrance
śrīmat-tulasyāḥ
—
of the tulasī leaves
rasanām
—
his tongue
tat-arpite
—
in the prasāda offered to the Lord
pādau
—
his two legs
hareḥ
—
of the Personality of Godhead
kṣetra
—
holy places like the temple or Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā
pada-anusarpaṇe
—
walking to those places
śiraḥ
—
the head
hṛṣīkeśa
—
of Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses
pada-abhivandane
—
in offering obeisances to the lotus feet
kāmam ca
—
and his desires
dāsye
—
in being engaged as a servant
na
—
not
tu
—
indeed
kāma-kāmyayā
—
with a desire for sense gratification
yathā
—
as
uttamaśloka-jana-āśrayā
—
if one takes shelter of a devotee such as Prahlāda
ratiḥ
—
attachment.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
saḥ
he (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa)
vai
indeed
manaḥ
his mind
kṛṣṇa-pada-aravindayoḥ
(fixed) upon the two lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa
vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane
vacāṁsi
his words
vaikuṇṭha-guṇa-anuvarṇane
describing the glories of Kṛṣṇa
karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu
karau
his two hands
hareḥ mandira-mārjana-ādiṣu
in activities like cleansing the temple of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye
śrutim
his ear
cakāra
engaged
acyuta
of or about Kṛṣṇa, who never falls down
sat-kathā-udaye
in hearing the transcendental narrations
mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau
mukunda-liṅga-ālaya-darśane
in seeing the Deity and temples and holy dhāmas of Mukunda
dṛśau
his two eyes
tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam
tat-bhṛtya
of the servants of Kṛṣṇa
gātra-sparśe
in touching the bodies
aṅga-saṅgamam
contact of his body
ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe
ghrāṇam ca
and his sense of smell
tat-pāda
of His lotus feet
saroja
of the lotus flower
saurabhe
in (smelling) the fragrance
śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite
śrīmat-tulasyāḥ
of the tulasī leaves
rasanām
his tongue
tat-arpite
in the prasāda offered to the Lord
pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe
pādau
his two legs
hareḥ
of the Personality of Godhead
kṣetra
holy places like the temple or Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā
pada-anusarpaṇe
walking to those places
śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane
śiraḥ
the head
hṛṣīkeśa
of Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses
pada-abhivandane
in offering obeisances to the lotus feet
kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā
kāmam ca
and his desires
dāsye
in being engaged as a servant
na
not
tu
indeed
kāma-kāmyayā
with a desire for sense gratification
yathā
as
uttamaśloka-jana-āśrayā
if one takes shelter of a devotee such as Prahlāda
yathottamaśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ
ratiḥ
attachment.
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṇa or about Kṛṣṇa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’s temples and Kṛṣṇa’s places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord’s devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.
Purport
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.1) the Lord recommends, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This indicates that one must execute devotional service under the guidance of a devotee or directly under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not possible, however, to train oneself without guidance from the spiritual master. Therefore, according to the instructions of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the first business of a devotee is to accept a bona fide spiritual master who can train him to engage his various senses in rendering transcendental service to the Lord. The Lord also says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.1) , asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu. In other words, if one wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in completeness, one must follow the prescriptions given by Kṛṣṇa by following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. It is said, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate: bhakti means to engage the senses in the service of the master of the senses, Kṛṣṇa, who is called Hṛṣīkeśa or Acyuta. These words are used in these verses. Acyuta-sat-kathodaye, hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane. The words Acyuta and Hṛṣīkeśa are also used in Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is kṛṣṇa-kathā spoken directly by Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also kṛṣṇa-kathā because everything described in the Bhāgavatam is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṇa or about Kṛṣṇa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the deity of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's temples and Kṛṣṇa's places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord's prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, without desiring material enjoyment, in order to develop rati as possessed by great devotees.
Three verses describe his sādhana for producing prema. The verb is cakāra. Just as a king engages his servants in his kingdom, wherever Ambarīṣa engaged his mind and senses, there the mind and senses would go, taking the order on their heads. The sovereignty of the king was extraordinary. He engaged his ears in the excellent topics of the Lord and his devotees (sat), not in jñāna or karma. He engaged his eyes in seeing the forms of the Lord as well as the temples, the abodes such as Mathurā, and the devotees (ālaya). He engaged his nose in the fragrance of the tulasī which was offered to the lotus feet of the Lord. He engaged his tongue in the food offered to the Lord. He engaged his feet in repeatedly going to the places such as Mathurā and the temples of the Lord. He engaged his head in bowing down to the Lord and the devotees. He engaged his desire in being the servant of the Lord, not with a desire for material enjoyment. The instrumental case of kāma-kāmyayā means the locative case. Why did he do this? He did it so that he could somehow develop rati without material desire, such as possessed by Prahlāda and others.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Ambarīṣa engaged every sense in the Lord's service — mind, words, hands, ears, eyes, touch, smell, tongue, feet, head. Bhakti is not a thought; it is the full senses, twenty-four hours, deployed for Hṛṣīkeśa.
Reflection Questions
- Which one sense of mine is most absorbed in matter, and how could I redirect it tomorrow?
- What would my day look like if I named one service for each of my nine senses?
My note
Source: vedabase.io